Preparation of dimethylformamide

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PREPARING DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE IN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH YIELD WHICH COMPRSES CONTACTING METHYL FORMATE WITH DEMETHYLAMINE AND PASSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE THROUGH A REACTION ZONE UNDER PRESSURE, PASSING THE REACTION PRODUCTS INTO A PRESSURIZED AND HEATED DISTILLATION ZONE THEREBY VAPORIZING AND SEPARATING UNREACTED DIMETHYLAMINE AND METHYL FORMAT FROM THE RESULTING LIQUID REACTION PRODUCTS, CONDENSING AND RETURNING SAID UNREACTED DIMETHYLAMINE AND METHYL FORMATE TO THE TOP OF SAID DISTILLATION ZONE THEREBY REACTING SAID UNREACTED DIMETHYLAMINE WITH SAID UNREACTED METHYL FORMATE, REMOVING THE LIQUID REACTION PRODUCTS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID DISTILLATION ZONE AND PASSING THEM INTO A SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE, HEATING AND VAPORIZING THE LIQUID REACTION PRODUCTS IN SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE, SEPARATING WATER AND METHANOL FORM SAID DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE IN SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE, REMOVING THE VAPORIZED WATER AND METHANOL FORM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE, CONDENSING SAID VAPORIZED WATER AND METHANOL AND MAINTAINING A REFLUX RATIO OF ABOUT 1.5 TO 1 THEREBY MAINTAINING SAID DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE AS A NEUTRAL PRODUCT, AND REMOVING FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION ZONE DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE AS THE RESULTING PRODUCT.